Tears From the Moon
by YoursAlways
Summary: Once a priestess, now a servant to the moon god, Tsukuyomi. Kagome's second chance at life came with a price, but she's also discovering that it's come with a second chance at love as well.
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: I own neither Inuyasha nor the Dark-Hunters Series and make no money from these writings.

* * *

Tears From the Moon

Chapter One

Kagome awoke with a harsh gasp before bolting upright. Her breaths came out as pants as she tried to gather her bearings and remember what had happened before she fell asleep. Her surroundings were familiar yet strange. She was obviously in Inuyasha's village - in Kaede's hut, to be specific - and it was definitely nighttime, but there was a hazy fog that seemed to glow covering everything. Slowly, her last memories returned to her and panic set it. She looked down, disturbed by the white kimono that she knew she hadn't been wearing before, and pulled the fabric away from her chest to see a large hole that had been cleaned and patched as much as possible.

Tears stung at her eyes and her throat felt tight as she tried to wrap her mind around what was going on. Whipping her head around, she saw the sleeping forms of her friends and tried to call out to them for help, but none of them so much as stirred.

"They cannot hear you," a deep voice spoke in front of her. "And they will not wake until I allow it."

Turning to look at the foot of the mat that she was laid upon, Kagome looked up at the tall figure standing there. Deep purple robes flowed on a wind that wasn't there as violet eyes stared down at her. Even though her tears continued to fall, the shock of seeing someone so regal in such modest surroundings caused her sobs to pause. The man continued to stare down at her as she took him in. Sharp and defined facial features, cold violet eyes, and silvery lavender hair that sparkled in the moonlight from the small window. At first she thought he was a demon since they sometimes possessed otherworldly beauty, but her senses told her that assessment was incorrect. This was no demon.

"Do you know who I am?" The man finally asked, growing tired of waiting.

Kagome shook her head slowly, unable to tear her eyes away from his.

The man gave an annoyed sigh. "I am Tsukuyomi, God of the Moon." When Kagome continued to stare at him speechless, he continued, "As I'm sure you must be aware by now, you're dead." He watched her glance down to the gaping hole between her breasts before small gasps were heard followed by a new wave of sobbing. "Be silent, woman, and listen. I am here to offer you second life."

Kagome choked on her next cry as his words sank in. Turning her tear-streaked face upward, she blinked unbelieving as she asked, "What?"

Tsukuyomi frowned. "Did you not hear or did you not understand? I am offering you a chance to live again, this time as my servant."

"Why?" It was the first thing that came out of Kagome's mouth before she even thought about her reaction. And while she certainly wanted to live again and wanted to take Tsukuyomi up on his offer, she realized that it was a valid question. _Why her?_

"I will explain this only once as my patience is already drawing thin," he told her with a serious look. "You, a human, have managed to draw my attention. You have always watched the moon, and I began to watch you in return. I believe that you have potential that would be wasted with your death. I will give you life once more on the condition that you become a servant to me; a servant to the Moon. You will still have certain freedoms. You may even live on Earth if you wish, but you will come when you are summoned." When he saw hope begin to take over her features, he added, "And you will not be permitted to see these people again." He watched as her face fell when he gestured to the others sleeping in the room.

"But...these are my friends. My family. Why can't I see them?" Kagome questioned. She didn't want to die, but the thought of living without her friends hurt her deep inside.

"These…" Tsukuyomi paused, unable to call all of them human, before speaking again, "creatures have a rare tenacity and stubbornness about them. If they become displeased with your servitude, I won't have them attempting to sever you from me."

Kagome looked over the sleeping forms of her friends and felt her heart break. She didn't want to leave them, but if that was a condition...what could she really do? It felt selfish and she felt guilty for thinking of only what she wanted, but she wanted to live. And maybe serving a god wouldn't be too bad. He was a god, after all. What could he really need or want from her? "Okay," she said softly. "I'll do it."

Though Tsukuyomi's mouth curved into a slight smile at her agreement, his eyes never warmed. "Good," he said in a tone almost as though he were praising her for making the correct decision. Reaching down, he held a glowing hand over the hole in her chest.

An awful ache filled her chest and radiated outward throughout the rest of her body, taking Kagome's breath away. It seemed to go on forever, and when it finally stopped, Kagome took a deep breath. Feeling something pull at her chest, she looked down and saw the hole in her chest had healed over. New skin and a scar were the only reminders of what was thankfully seeming more and more like a terrible nightmare than her reality.

Tsukuyomi grasped her arm and pulled her to her feet before saying, "Come. We must find you something to wear that's more suited to your new station." His last action before sweeping towards the hut's door was to place a small, delicately framed mirror on the mat she'd previously been resting on. "If the old priestess is worth her title, she'll know the token for what it is and know that you're now mine."

Being talked about like an object left a bad taste in Kagome's mouth and she wanted to say something, but snapping at a god who'd just brought her back from the dead didn't seem like the smartest thing to do. So instead, she followed barefoot after Tsukuyomi, only pausing and looking back when she reached the doorway. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she closed her eyes tightly, and allowed the door covering to fall back into place as she left her previous life behind her.

* * *

The halls were quiet as Kagome followed the tug on her soul as Tsukuyomi called for her. His palace in the heavens was beautiful, and over the years she'd gotten used to the strange atmosphere it held.

The floors, walls, and pillars were a shining white, and Kagome was sure that the ceiling would be white as well if there was a ceiling at all. The palace was very open for the most part, allowing an open view of the sky at all times of day. But despite the openness, there was always a lingering dark. With all the white surfaces, the palace practically glowed day and night, but in every corner, behind every pillar, anywhere light didn't reach, the shadows were deep and dark.

Further adding to the disquiet of the palace was the emptiness of it. She and Tsukuyomi were the only inhabitants. It had come as something of a surprise to find out that she was the only servant that Tsukuyomi had ever taken. She'd asked herself why that was many times, but the few times that she'd brought it up to Tsukuyomi himself, he'd dismissed her question as something trivial.

Kagome sighed. He really could be annoying at times. But he wasn't all that bad, either. He was a god, and a very private one at that. He opted to live high in the heavens away from many of the other gods and goddesses, but he seemed to prefer it that way. In the beginning of their arrangement, Kagome had seen him as insufferable, but the truth was more along the lines of him being tense and a bit awkward around others. All of his time alone hadn't let him develop many social skills, so he was very picky and set in his ways. He'd changed some over the years though. He didn't treat her like she was this tedious part of his life anymore and was even kind. They often had long conversations about the world, other gods, how old traditions fit into this modern age, and countless other things. It wasn't as though she was very social these days either, but Tsukuyomi had become the closest thing to a best friend that she had.

Walking along one of the palace's verandas, she watched a small brook of clear water wind along through the approaching gardens. As the water flowed over the edge of the palace grounds and into what she assumed was just an abyss, she wondered, not for the first time, where the endless supply of water came from.

When Kagome stepped into the gardens, she spotted Tsukuyomi sitting in a small pavillion taking in the sight of the garden, composed primarily of different moonflowers, in full bloom under the moon. "You called?" She asked as she came to a stop beside his seat.

Tsukuyomi looked up at Kagome and couldn't stop the small smile of approval. When he'd first taken her in, she'd been so rough and loud and clumsy and...human. Now she stood before him calm, composed, quiet, and poised. She wore the traditional kimonos that he preferred and moved so quietly that he could hardly hear her most of the time. It had been a long road, but seeing the fruits of his labors was very rewarding.

He'd lost count of how many years it had been since his beloved sister, Amaterasu, had turned her back to him, and all for killing a minor food goddess. In his defense, her display had been rather distasteful. But it hadn't mattered to the sun goddess in the end, and she'd refused to so much as look at him ever since. But then five hundred years ago, an idea had come to him. He'd found the woman before him, a human priestess, and thought that maybe if he could cultivate and refine her a bit, she might make a decent goddess, a replacement for the goddess that he'd done away with. Perhaps then Amaterasu might acknowledge him once more.

Kagome had been stubborn, but during her time with him, she'd calmed significantly. She acted much more godly now, in his opinion. Now it was only a matter of finding a way to elevate her into actual godhood. And he had to admit, human as she still was, she was still quite stunning. As he got to know her, the soul beneath the inferior human shell, he'd actually become very fond of her and had grown more certain that he'd made the right decision in choosing her. As the time to make her a goddess grew nearer, he was contemplating more and more often about possibly taking her for his bride. But for that to ever happen, he needed some very important information.

Tapping the small table in front of him, Tsukuyomi pointed out a scroll and small chest. "There is a woman on Earth, a personification of the human soul, named Psyche. To my most recent knowledge, she is in a city called New Orleans. I need some knowledge that she is most likely to possess. Take this scroll with the details and this chest of offerings to her. If she agrees, you will stay on Earth until she gives you the information that I want. If she refuses, return with her reason." He looked out across the sky and, more specifically, at the moon. "It is night here, so if you leave soon, it will still be day there. You shouldn't have much trouble tracking her down with your mirror. Do you understand everything that I've told you?"

She was used to him often speaking to her like a child, but it was still one of those things that irked her sometimes. "Yes, Lord Tsukuyomi. I'll prepare a bag and leave immediately."

With his dismissal, Kagome took the scroll and chest and left towards her room. She wondered about what Tsukuyomi wanted with this Psyche woman, but she knew better than to ask. If he hadn't told her while telling her about her job, he wouldn't tell her if she asked. It was just one of those things she'd have to discover for herself. At the very least, from things she remembered during her first life in the modern era, New Orleans should at least prove to be an interesting place.


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I own neither Inuyasha nor the Dark-Hunters Series and make no money from these writings.

* * *

Tears From the Moon

Chapter Two

Walking down the sidewalk, Kagome glanced to her mirror for an indication of the next landmark she needed to look for. She'd arrived in New Orleans less than an hour ago, but she'd already checked into the hotel she'd be staying at and was on her way to find the bar called Sanctuary and the woman called Psyche.

Once her bag was packed and her reservations were made, Kagome had popped down to Earth for her indefinite stay. And as much as Tsukuyomi rejected modern amenities, she was glad that she'd finally caught up to what she would always consider "her time." Trying to explain to Tsukuyomi the concept of a credit card and why she needed one for her errands to Earth had been difficult, but he'd finally given in. She still wasn't sure that he completely understood it, though. But for the most part, he'd come around to giving her anything she asked for. The only rules were that all things modern were restricted to her room alone, and traditions were to be upheld everywhere else in his palace. And if it meant she could have wi-fi, a computer, and a limitless credit card, Kagome really didn't mind putting on the layers of kimono when she wandered around the palace.

As a small group of people passed her on the sidewalk, Kagome stopped and turned to watch them. They were talking and laughing about something that she couldn't hear. They were loud. Earth was loud. '_How long has it been?'_ She thought to herself before continuing on her way. When was the last time that she'd actually gone to Earth for more than a moment? If she ordered something online, she had it shipped to Susanoo's home on Earth and would pop in to pick it up. Other than that, she really didn't go to Earth that often. What was the point?

When she'd first been taken as Tsukuyomi's servant, there were a few things that she'd misunderstood. For one, she thought her second life would be of standard human length. That hadn't been the case. It turned out that Tsukuyomi intended to keep her for much longer than that and she her aging had stalled out at twenty, what the moon god had considered a more "acceptable" age. Another thing she'd come to discover was when he'd told her that she couldn't see her friends anymore, he meant it literally. Well, sort of. When he'd left her on Earth to live her life until he needed her, she'd tried to go back to Inuyasha's village. She'd convinced herself that she just wanted to let them know that she was okay. She could see them. She tried to talk to them. But they weren't able to see or hear her. No one in the village was.

It had been a hard blow, but after some wandering, she'd found a small village to call home. Tsukuyomi didn't call on her for years. She wondered if he ever would or if he'd forgotten about her completely. She didn't notice any changes in herself, so she thought maybe he just meant that most of her duties would be as a priestess for him. That notion had gone out the window literally overnight. On what she assumed was on or near her twentieth birthday - since she could really only guess by the season without a calendar - everything changed drastically. Tsukuyomi had decided that she was finally of a more suitable and mature age to serve him and had given her his, the moon's, influence. That night, every hair on her head, her eyebrows, her eyelashes, turned snowy white.

As startling as it had been for her, it was even more-so for the villagers where she lived. She couldn't even hide it. When she was outside in the moonlight, she actually glowed. When the morning came and her hair turned black again, the relief was immense though short-lived. Word of her transformation had spread through the village quickly and there was speculation on whether she was a god or a demon. Some avoided her while others revered her and gave offerings. No matter how many times she tried to explain that she was human, it never worked. Night after night, her hair would change and word of the goddess come to Earth only spread.

The followers she gained eventually became so persistent for her attention and blessing that it was overwhelming. She'd broken down and called out for Tsukuyomi, hoping he would hear her, to come get her and let her live in the heavens with him. She didn't want to live with humans if she wasn't able to be one of them. She wanted friends and family, not offerings and reverence.

And so the moon god had become her only company for the better part of five hundred years. She'd met a few other gods here and there and traveled to Earth a handful of times, but usually it was just her and Tsukuyomi.

Checking her mirror again, she saw that she was apparently drawing close and started looking for the building being shown to her in the glass's surface. It wasn't terribly hard to spot once it came into view. It seemed fairly normal for a biker bar on the outside, but she'd been told to expect plenty of non-humans inside.

Kagome stepped inside and wasn't surprised to only see a few people here and there. It was the middle of the day, and she could guess that a lot of the bar's frequenters were probably a little more nocturnal. With the distinct feeling of being watched, she turned to look in the direction of the bar and found two sets of eyes on her. "Hello," she greeted with a short bow.

Dev lifted a brow as the very petite newcomer bowed towards him Cher. "Hey there," he responded as she straightened up. "Don't think I've seen you around here before. New in town?" From the look of her and the accent on even her one-word greeting, it was easy to tell that she wasn't local.

"Something like that," Kagome confirmed as she walked closer to the man seated at the bar in front of who she assumed was the bartender. "I was told that this was the most likely place for me to find a woman named Psyche."

That caught both bears' attention. This girl was human enough, but she if she was asking for someone like Psyche by name, she likely had at least some knowledge of the supernatural world. But at the same time, they wanted to avoid trouble, especially so early in the day. With a sigh and a shrug, Dev said, "She's upstairs playing cards." When Kagome moved towards the stairs, he halted her as he added, "And since you're new here, just a couple of house rules. No weapons. No fighting. Breaking either and we'll be showing you the door, got it?"

Kagome was honestly taken aback. It had been so long since anyone had really seen or treated her like she posed any sort of threat that it was jarring to hear such a warning. "I understand," she agreed with a slight nod. "I'm not here for a fight. My...employer has a request for her. I'm just the messenger." When the large man seemed to accept her reasons, she continued towards the stairs and ascended to the second floor.

There was only one small group on this floor and they all sat around a table playing cards. Stepping closer, Kagome realized that it was poker. She only made it a few steps towards the table before the players paused in their game to look at her. '_Is everyone here this sharp?'_ She thought. Bowing again, this time deeper, Kagome stood straight again before speaking, "I'm looking for Psyche."

There was a pause as Kagome was sized up, but eventually a slender redhead raised the hand not holding her cards and said, "That'd be me."

Quickly closing the distance between them, Kagome stood beside the woman she'd come to see. "I'm very sorry for interrupting your game," she began with an apology. She then pulled the scroll that she'd been given from the bag resting against her hip and offered it to the soul goddess. "My lord has asked that I deliver this to you and await your answer to his proposal."

"Proposal?" The blond man on the other side of Psyche asked with a frown. "What proposal? Who's your master?"

Kagome watched Psyche break the seal on the scroll and unroll it some before she answered, "I don't know the details. I'm only here as a go-between. And my master is the Shinto moon god, Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto."

Patting her husband's arm with a smile, Psyche placated the love god as she said, "Calm down, Eros. It isn't _that_ kind of proposal." Reading over the neat print, Psyche glanced up to the young woman beside her. The message specifically requested that his servant not learn of its content, and it looked like this Tsukuyomi wanted to know more about souls. It was an interesting request, to be sure. Psyche herself wasn't completely sure if there was a way to outright convert a human's soul into a god's, but she might be able to do some checking around. Before she could give her answer, Kagome began to speak again.

"Oh, and Lord Tsukuyomi also sent this as an offering," she said as she slid both hands into her bag and pulled out a small, ornate chest. Placing it on the table, careful of the cards and chips, she opened it to reveal a variety of gold coins and precious stones and jewels.

Eros whistled lowly, "Not a bad offering." Nudging his wife, he told her, "Accept the deal."

Turning a skeptical eye in his direction, Psyche asked, "Why do you suddenly want me to accept?"

"Because I'm borrowing a few of these," Eros responded as he reached over and gathered up a few gold coins in his hand before stacking them on the table next to his few remaining poker chips. "You kinda have to accept now."

Psyche rolled her eyes at the love of her life before rolling the scroll back up and turning towards Kagome. "Tell your god that I'll accept. I'm not sure how long it'll take to get the information that he wants, though."

"Thank you," Kagome said with another bow. "And time isn't an issue. I was told to wait in this city until you're ready to send back your findings. Actually," she paused while fishing around in her bag for a small notepad and pen. Jotting down some information, Kagome continued, "I'll be at this hotel while I'm here. I've also written down my room number and my cell phone number. Please contact me at any time if there's anything that I can do to help you."

"Okay," Psyche agreed as she took the slip of paper while looking Kagome over. "I'll keep in touch."

"Then I'll be going for today. Thank you, again."

When she turned and left, the occupants of the poker table watched where she'd disappeared down the stairs for several quiet moments. "Was is just me," Psyche started, "or was she..._strange_ for a human?"

Eros hummed as he thought about it and agreed. "She was much more formal than what I usually see. And a human directly serving and having contact with a god? That's not done very often anymore. What do you think that's about?"

"Maybe they do things different over in Japan," Aimee mused from where she was looking through her cards again. When her poker-mates turned to stare at her, she defended, "What? She said he's a Shinto god. Shinto is Japan, isn't it?"

It was true that the Shinto gods largely kept to themselves, but it still seemed strange. Why was a moon god keeping a human as a pet? It made his request about turning a human into a god bear a little more weight and raised more than a few questions.


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I own neither Inuyasha nor the Dark-Hunters Series and make no money from these writings.

* * *

Tears From the Moon

Chapter Three

Acheron had agreed to help out with a small construction project for a local park's playground, but when his route took him by Sanctuary, he decided to stop in and see how things had been going. He hadn't been to the bar in a good while since there had been plenty keeping him busy elsewhere during the nights. Getting out of his Porsche, which he parked on the street, Acheron walked up to the bar's front doors and entered to a very familiar song.

Shooting Dev a look, he asked, "Do you really need to play it during the day. There aren't any Daimons here right now."

"Oh, I know," Dev smirked.

Kagome briefly glanced up from her book at the sudden change in music and noticed a very tall figure clad all in black by the bar talking with Dev. It had almost been two weeks since she'd arrived in New Orleans and met with Psyche, and this is what most of her days had boiled down to. She slept in as long as she wanted, got a shower, got dressed, and came to Sanctuary. She didn't know her way around the city and didn't want to wander around alone during the day when she was as weak as any other human. So she spent her free time during the day in Sanctuary. There were occasional conversations with the regulars, but she kept to herself for the most part and read. And with all the other very tall and very interesting people that she saw around the bar from day to day, this new man really didn't stand out that much to her. As a passing thought she wondered how he wasn't dying of heat stroke in all of that black and leather.

Acheron scanned the bar before his eyes landed on someone unfamiliar. It was a human woman, young, Asian, probably Japanese if he had to guess. She was pretty enough, but what really made her stand out was the fact that she wasn't staring at him. Everyone stared at him. It was something that he'd learned to ignore a very long time ago, and these days he was more surprised when he _didn't_ get looks. "Dev," he said, getting the bear's attention. "Who's that?"

"Hmm?" Dev leaned against the bar where he was covering for his brother during Cher's lunch break and followed to where Acheron was looking. "Oh, Kagome? Yeah, I guess you haven't met her yet. She showed up a couple weeks back and has been here every day since. Only here during the day, though. She hits the door before sunset."

As he watched her continue to simply read, Acheron got a strange feeling from her. She was human, there was no denying that. But there was something else. Something different. Something _not_ human. "Is this what she usually does?" He asked nodding his head towards where she sat still calmly reading.

"Yeah, pretty much," Dev answered as he rubbed the back of his head. "She comes in and just hangs around. She'll talk to people if they talk to her first, but she doesn't go out of her way to strike up a conversation. Nice enough, though. Doesn't cause trouble. Aims likes her, and Maman tries to feed her like she's starved since she's so little."

"She doesn't look like she's from around here," Acheron observed. "What's she doing in New Orleans?"

"Something to do with Psyche," Dev explained vaguely. "I don't know the details. When I first met her, she told me it was some sort of request from her boss, but Aims was there when Kagome was talking to Psy about it. She says that Kagome's "boss" is actually a god over in Japan. Hell if I know what a Japanese god wants with Psy, but I figured it's none of my business if it isn't hurting anything."

'_A god?'_ Acheron wondered. And from Japan, no less. He'd never met any of the gods from that region and was genuinely curious. Leaving Dev at the bar, his long strides closed the distance between the bar and Kagome's table with only a few steps. He waited for her to get to a stopping point in her book and look up at him before he grinned and asked, "Mind if I take a seat?"

Kagome pointedly looked around at all the empty tables and seats before looking back at the tall man waiting beside her table. She dogeared her page and set her book aside before motioning towards a chair and saying, "Not at all."

Acheron pulled out his chair and smoothly sat down across from Kagome. Up close and without her looking down at a book, he noticed something new about her. New and unsettling. Her expression was completely blank. It wasn't angry or sad or annoyed. Her features were completely relaxed and devoid of any hint of emotion. If anything, she looked mildly bored. Now, it wasn't the first time he'd seen an expression like that. But it wasn't usually on a young human woman. That added to the strange feeling that he was still getting from her made him even more curious. "Dev tells me that your name is Kagome."

"That's right," Kagome nodded.

"I'm Acheron," he introduced while extending his right hand for her to shake.

There was a moment of pause before Kagome slid her small hand into Acheron's much larger one and shook lightly before letting go. "Kagome Higurashi," she provided.

"He also tells me that you work for a god," Acheron said casually.

Eyes quickly cutting over to where Dev was leaving the bar and Cher was returning, Kagome looked back to Acheron and told him, "That's right, more or less."

"More or less?"

"I'm a servant to him, connected body and soul."

That must have been what felt strange to him. If she had a deep connection to her god, some of that could come through her aura. "That's a little weird though, isn't it? Gods don't usually keep such close human servants these days."

"You're right," Kagome agreed. "But I've been with him for a very long time."

Grinning again, Acheron noted, "You're not very talkative, are you?"

"Sorry," Kagome replied with a small shrug. "It's been a long time since I've been around other people. I'm out of practice."

"So," Acheron continued with a nod. "How long have you been a servant to your god? How long is a very long time."

"About five hundred years," Kagome answered frankly. She didn't see any reason to lie. What would it gain? She was in Sanctuary where the no-fighting rule was strictly enforced. If this man, Acheron, tried anything, he would be stopped. Hopefully. Giving him a quick appraisal, taking more note of him than her in her initial impression, she noticed just how strong he was. This man was not human. Pretty far from it. The feeling he gave off was familiar, but still different from anything she'd ever felt.

Acheron sat in silence as they watched each other. Five hundred years? There was definitely more to this story. "How have you lived that long?"

"Because I already died," Kagome explained. She wasn't really able to gauge his reaction behind his dark sunglasses, but she continued on. "My god brought me back to life under the condition that I serve him, and I agreed. By making me a servant of the moon, he stopped my aging, and I've been by his side ever since."

Acheron frowned. Why had this god brought this woman back to life? It wasn't something gods did without good reason, so what made her that special to warrant a second life? "I don't believe you've actually said who your god is."

"Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, Shinto god of the moon," Kagome answered. "Though I suppose the more modern pronunciation is Tsukiyomi since our language changed over time and our word for moon evolved from _tsuku_ to _tsuki_. He's very traditional though, and he prefers the original pronunciation."

The entire time she spoke, her expression never changed. There was no hint of emotion in her face or eyes. If he was being honest, aside from being unsettling, it was a tiny bit creepy. But he wanted to know more. Glancing down at his watch, he saw that it was unfortunately time for him to leave and head to the park. Standing in one smooth motion, he inclined his head to Kagome and told her, "I'd like to continue this, but I have somewhere to be." When Kagome nodded towards him similarly and reached for her book again, Acheron got a different idea. "Actually," he started. "How would you like a change in scenery? If you've been here every day, it has to be getting boring by now."

Kagome stared up at Acheron and thought over his offer. She was getting a little tired of staring at the same walls and tables and chairs. "Where?"

"A small park not far from here," Acheron answered as he jerked his thumb in the general direction. "I'm helping out with building some new equipment. You can get some fresh air, and we can talk on the way and afterwards since I'd like to hear more about the gods of Shinto. I know a lot about some other pantheons, but I've never been able to talk with anyone who knew a Shinto god personally."

"Gods," Kagome corrected as she tucked her book into her bag and stood from her seat.

"Sorry?"

"Gods," Kagome repeated. "Plural. I know several, not just one."

Acheron watched as she waved goodbye to Dev, still not a twitch of change on her face, and headed towards the door. Following after her, he thought that if nothing else, this would be interesting. This Tsukuyomi certainly couldn't have brought her back for her dazzling conversation skills, so Acheron still wanted an answer to his question of _why?_


	4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: I own neither Inuyasha nor the Dark-Hunters Series and make no money from these writings.

* * *

Tears From the Moon

Chapter Four

In the car, Acheron was once again puzzled by Kagome's reaction to him. Or, more specifically, her _lack_ of reaction to him. And more than that, the car was silent other than his music. He got nothing from Kagome; no emotions, no thoughts, no visions of the future, nothing. "So," he began to draw her attention to him from where she'd been watching the passing buildings out the window. "You said you know other Shinto gods?"

Kagome nodded. "I see Susanoo, god of the seas and storms, and his wife Kushinadahime, a minor earthly goddess, most often. They keep a home on Earth, and I'm usually at their house when I come to Earth," she explained passively. "And since their house is by the ocean, sometimes I'll see Ryuujin, god of the sea tides. Other than them, I've met Uzume, goddess of the dawn, a few times. She's closer to Amaterasu than Tsukuyomi, but since those two haven't spoken to each other in centuries, Uzume acts as a go-between on the rare occasions that Amaterasu has something to say to Tsukuyomi. Then there's also Tenjin, god of scholarship and knowledge. I think he's one of Tsukuyomi's few friends. He comes by every now and then and they have talks in the gardens."

"Wait," Acheron said with a slight frown. "You said you stay with another god - Susanoo? - when you "come to Earth." You don't serve Tsukuyomi from here on Earth?"

"No," Kagome clarified. "I-" She paused, and in that brief moment when Acheron glanced over at her, he caught the first glimpse of emotion from her. Her eyes reflected a sadness that was quickly blinked away when she began speaking again. "I used to," she told him. "I tried being his servant from Earth, but things...didn't work out very well. I've lived with Tsukuyomi in his heavenly palace ever since."

Yet another thing that was strange about Kagome's arrangement with this god. Living humans, long-lived or not, usually weren't allowed to live in the heavens. And that seemed to be a rule that most, if not all, pantheons shared. But, if what Kagome said was true, another exception had been made for her. "What happened on Earth to make you leave?"

Kagome felt herself tense slightly at Acheron's question. She didn't like talking about her nightly change. She didn't like what she turned into. It had made her too different and chased her away from her home. The only person who had ever seen her like that and treated her no differently was Tsukuyomi. No matter the time of day or her appearance, she'd always just been Kagome, his servant. Once not that long ago, he'd even told her that she reminded him of the moon itself, glowing brightly in the night. Cutting a glance towards Acheron, she faintly wondered what he would have to say about her alternate appearance. Other people...they just never understood. She wasn't sure what exactly Acheron was if he wasn't human, and while she was willing to share a lot of the inconsequential details of her life, she wasn't about to tell a stranger the one thing she tried so hard to hide. "It was a long time ago," she dismissed. It was quiet for a moment before she spoke again in an attempt to get the conversation on a different track. "And you? You said you know a lot about other pantheons. You aren't human, so how long have you been gathering this knowledge?"

Acheron almost missed a stop sign and turn when Kagome casually pointed out that he wasn't human. Slowly making the turn he almost passed and continuing down the road, he asked, "What makes you say I'm not human?"

"I can feel it," she told him frankly. "I've spent enough time around humans, demons, and gods to know when someone isn't human." Looking him over from the corner of her eye, she added, "For the record, now that I've been close to you for a while, I don't think you're a demon either. Not unless you're one of the most powerful that I've ever met."

The implication in her statement was clear, and it made Acheron frown. What was she trying to say? Was she fishing for confirmation of her suspicions? How likely would she be to use this sort of information against him later? Retaliating could get a little messy given that she was in direct service to another god, one he wasn't acquainted with at that.

"I don't care," Kagome suddenly spoke into the silence that had settled between them. "You don't need to be so tense," she explained further when he didn't react to what she'd said. "You don't seem that dangerous. Well, dangerous yes, but not bloodthirsty or violent. As long as that's the case, I don't see how it's any of my business what you are and really don't care enough to snoop around. That's not why I'm here, after all."

"Why _are_ you here?" He asked as the park came into view. '_Thank the gods,'_ he thought. Sure, he'd wanted to talk with her a little more, but between the completely straight face, her completely absent reactions to him, his being unable to see anything about this woman, and her ability to basically call him out on his origins, Acheron's creepy-meter was spiking into the red.

"I'm collecting some information from Psyche for my lord," Kagome answered simply as Acheron parked and they both stepped out of the car. When he gave her what she assumed was an expectant look over the top of the car - it was hard to tell with those sunglasses - she said, "I don't specifically know what the information is about. I delivered a letter with the details, but I wasn't told what they were."

Acheron made a mental note to ask Psyche about it later as he removed his jacket and left it in the car. Making their way across the street to the park's entrance, Acheron took a hairband off of his wrist and worked on pulling up his long hair. He motioned towards the area where several people were already gathered around building supplies and said, "The new equipment shouldn't take too long with everyone that's here. You okay with waiting?"

"I have my book," Kagome told him as she patted the bag at her hip. Looking around, she pointed to a bench in a shaded area. "I'll wait over there." With a casual wave of acknowledgement from each of them, they went their separate ways and Acheron got to work organizing with the other volunteers while Kagome settled in with her book.

She could hear the sounds of adults talking and construction beginning. It only took a few minutes for it to fade into background noise that was easily ignored. But then another sound joined in; children laughing. It brought up memories that tugged at her heart a little, but she continued to read without looking up. At least that's what she did until a ball rolled over and bumped her foot. Looking up, she saw a little girl, maybe around eight or nine years old, with blonde hair in two braids come running up to her looking very sheepish.

"Sorry," the girl apologized quietly as she watched Kagome pick up the ball and offer it back to her.

"It's fine," Kagome reassured her and kept eye contact as the girl continued to stand in front of her and stare. After a moment, Kagome inquired, "Is there something you need?"

The girl opened her mouth and closed it, looking a little unsure of what she wanted to say before she blurted out, "Are you sad or something?"

The question caught Kagome by surprise and she frowned a little as she shook her head and said, "No, I'm not sad. Why do you ask?"

"Well," the girl hedged, "you just look kinda sad, I guess. You're not smiling and you don't look happy."

Was that true? Kagome suddenly became very conscious and aware of her facial expression. Her muscles were relaxed and she didn't need a mirror to know that it was likely a very neutral expression. It was no wonder a child might mistake it for sadness. But wasn't this how she always looked? No one had ever commented about it before. '_No,'_ she thought as something occurred to her. Years ago, she used to smile a lot; almost all the time. _That_ was something that she could clearly remember people commenting on. When had a smile stopped being her default expression? How long ago had she changed?

"Do you want to play with us?" The girl invited when Kagome didn't say anything in return. "Playing with my friends always makes me feel better when I'm sad." Kagome was about to decline when the girl spoke up again, "We need one more person for even teams, anyway."

The calls of several more children for the little girl to hurry made Kagome look up at the small group in a nearby grassy open space. Only hesitating for a moment, Kagome tucked her book back into her bag resting on the bench and stood up to follow a the brightly smiling girl. There was something about these kids that brought back intense waves of nostalgia. She could almost see the open field with village children beckoning her to come play with them, and the memories actually brought a small smile to her face.

It was a few of hours later that the playground construction project was completed and Acheron was shaking hands and saying goodbye to the people that he knew. Making his way towards the bench that Kagome had settled herself on, he was surprised to see her bag but no Kagome. He quickly scanned the surrounding area and had to blink several times to make sure he wasn't seeing things when he actually spotted her.

Kagome was linked hands with a several children who had formed a ring that moved around one child who sat in the center. He could just make out the strange lyrics of the chant they used before stopping and the central child, eyes covered, questioningly called out a name. The small group laughed, telling the boy that he'd gotten it wrong before starting to move again and chanting their little song.

But what was more surprising, beyond the fact that Kagome was actively playing with a group of children, was the fact that she was smiling. Genuinely smiling. Her blue eyes were bright and laughing and her smile was wide as she chanted along with the kids. And in that moment, he saw a glimpse of the human Kagome. It seemed that instead of always looking like a shade, she was quite capable of shining with life. Before, he hadn't thought much of her. He could acknowledge that she was reasonably attractive, but the woman he was looking at now was completely different. There was something in her face that made his stomach tighten.

After a few rounds of dodgeball and a game of kickball, the kids had wanted something different to play. That was when Kagome had mentioned that she knew a game from when she was a little girl, a game that she happened to share her name with. The children had laughed when she told them the lyrics and she had to admit that she really didn't know what they meant, but she convinced them to give the game a try in the end. It had taken a couple of tries before everyone got into the swing of it, but after a few rounds of it, everyone was giggling and squealing when the circle stopped and names were guessed. And honestly, Kagome couldn't remember the last time she'd had as much fun as she was having with these kids.

Looking up while catching her breath a little, Kagome caught sight of Acheron watching her and straightened up some. "Sorry, guys," she apologized as she released the two small hands that she'd been holding. "I think it's time for me to go."

The kids turned their attention to see a very tall man holding Kagome's bag in one hand. "Acheron!" A couple of them called out before running up to him.

Kagome followed at a slower pace, more than a little surprised when Acheron crouched down to talk with the ones that came to talk animatedly with him. When she made it to the little group and held out her hand for her bag, she heard one of the boys ask, "You know Kagome?"

"Sort of," Acheron answered as he stood to his full height. "We're new friends. Just met."

"Well can you bring her to the gym next time?" A little boy asked. "We have another game next week."

"No promises," he said and watched as the boy's face fell a little. "But I'll see what I can do."

"Awesome!" The boy cheered before he and his friends waved bye and ran off to continue playing their new game.

"You didn't seem the type to play with kids in parks," Acheron casually observed as he and Kagome walked back out of the park and crossed the street.

"Neither do you," she countered as she waited until she heard the car door unlock and opened it. Sliding into her seat, she said, "You shouldn't assume things about people you don't know."

"Fair enough," Acheron agreed as he got in the car and closed the door after him. Looking over, he noticed that Kagome's face had returned to the neutral expression that he was more familiar with. But her features still seemed a little softer with the flush of playing in the sun and a little bit of a smile still reflecting in her eyes.

She was right. He didn't know her, but he would have to change that. She had his attention now. He wanted to get to know who she was instead of what she was and who she served. He wanted to get to know the vibrant human hidden behind the quiet servant. But first he'd have to figure out a way to draw out the person that he now knew Kagome had the potential to be.


End file.
